Machine for making longitudinally curved reenforced shank stiffeners



Feb. 6, 1934. w MCKERSQN 1,945,618

MACHINE FOR MAKING LONGITUDINALLY GURVED REENFORCED SHANK STIFFENERSFiled Sept. 1, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 6, 1934.. w. H. NICKERSONMACHINE FOR MAKING LONGITUDINALLY CURVED REENFORCED SHANK STIFFENERSFiled Sept. 1, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFEC MACHINE FOR MAKING LONGITUDINALLY CURVED REENFORCED SHANKSTIFF- ENERS 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the manufacture of a shoe shank stiffenercomposed of a non-metallic flexible body portion, usually ofleatherboard, and. a longitudinally extending relatively stiff and re-.5 silient metal reenforce provided with prongs which penetrate and areclinched on the body portion.

The object of the invention is to provide a shank stiffener machineincluding uniting and 10 bending mechanism adapted by one operation tounite the stifiener parts by inserting the prongs of the reenforce inthe body portion and clinching said prongs, and at the same time bendingthe assembled body portion and reenforce, to impart a 1 desirablelongitudinal curvature to the stiffener, said curvature being maintainedby the clinching of the prongs. The uniting and bending mechanism of thepresent invention constitutes a part of a machine which includes themechanism for 29 forming prongs, and, if desired, hollow ribs on a stripof reenforcing metal of indeterminate length, in such manner that thestrip may be severed by the uniting and bending mechanism into lengthseach constituting a complete reenforce which is united to a body portionapplied by hand, or otherwise, to the uniting and bending mechanism.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,-

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a shank stiffenermachine which includes the uniting and bending mechanism of the presentinvention.

Figure 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows in perspective a strip of reenforcing material preparedfor the uniting and bending mechanism.

Figure 5 shows in perspective a metal reenf-orce as severed from thestrip by the uniting and bending mechanism.

Figure 6 is a top plan view showing the lower die of the uniting andbending mechanism, the upper die being removed.

45 Figure '7 is a section on line '7-7 of Figure 6 showing the upperdiedepressed.

Figure 8 is a section on line 88 of Figure 1.

Figure 9 is a section on line 9--9 of Figure 7.

Figure 10 is a View similar to portions of Figure 9 showing theoperation of ejecting a completed stiifener.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the completed stifiener.

The same reference characters indicate the 55 same parts in all of thefigures.

The machine which includes the uniting and bending mechanism in whichthe Invention is embodied, is shown at the right of the line a: a: inFigure 1. The mechanism shown at the left of said line is a striptreating mechanism adapted as to impart to a metal strip 12 ofindeterminate length, the features shown in perspective by Figure 4,said features including prongs l3 bent downwardly from the strip atspaced apart points, and intermediate portions 14 adapted to be severedat 15, as hereinafter described, by elements of the uniting and bendingmechanism to produce the incomplete metal reenforce 151, shown by Figure5. Said features may include also spaced apart longitudinal grooves eachforming a hollow rib 16 on the metal reenforce adapted to be pressedinto the body portion 24, described later.

The strip treating mechanism may be substantially similar to that shownby my Patent No. 1,593,349, dated July 20, 1926, and is organized asdescribed by that patent to form the prongs 13, and the intermediateportions 14, but not to sever said portions at 15, this function beingperformed by the uniting and bending mechanism.

The strip treating mechanism may include a lower female grooving die 160fixed to a base 1'7, an upper male grooving die 18 fixed to a verticallymovable carrier 19, and prong forming means shown conventionally at 20.

The machine is provided with means for iongitudinally feeding the strip12 step by step, as described by my above mentioned patent, said meansincluding feed rolls 61.

The uniting and bending mechanism comprises a lower bending andclinching die 22 having a longitudinally concave pressing and prongclinching face 23, and means for positioning on said face thenon-metallic body portion 24 of a two-part shank stifiener. Said meansis preferably embodied in stops 25 fixed to the lower die, andprojecting upward and spaced from one side thereof, as shown by Figures3, 9 and 10, said stops abutting one longitudinal edge of the bodyportion 24, and correctly positioning it when said body portion isplaced on the lower die.

The lower die 22 is suitably fixed to the base 17, shown by Figure 1.

26 designates an upper bending die having a convex pressing face 27, andsecured to the carrier 19 whereby it may be moved vertically toward andfrom the lower die.

The upper die 26 is provided with a shearing member 29 adapted tocooperate with a shearing member 30 on a block 31 fixed to the lowerdie,

the member 30 projecting over one end of the lower die, as shown byFigure 7.

When the upper die descends, the reenforce, in the condition shown byFigure 5, is severed from the strip, pressed against the body portion24, and bent therewith until the stiffener is curved as shown by Figure7. At the same time the prongs 13 are clinched against the face 23 ofthe lower die, as shown by Figure 7, so that they maintain thecurvature.

The now completed stifiener in the condition shown by Figure 11 may beejected by a knocker 33 oscillated by any suitable means, and arrangedto strike the edge of the body portion 24 abutting the stops 25, anddisplace the stiffener, as indicated by Figure 10.

I claim:

1. A machine for making longitudinally curved reenforced shankstifieners, including uniting and bending mechanism comprising a lowerbending die having a longitudinally concave pressing and clinching face,means for positioning the non-metallic body portion of a shank stifienerthereon, an upper bending die having a convex pressing face, and meansassociated with said dies for severing, from a previously pronged metalstrip, a reenforce having prongs at its opposite end portions, said diesbeing relatively movable to cause the upper die to force the reenforceprongs into the body portion, bend the reenforce and body portion andthereby impart a longitudinal curvature to the stifiener, and clinch theprongs of the reenforce to maintain said curvature.

2. A shank stiffener machine as specified by claim 1, said severingmeans including a shear ing member carried by the upper die, and a 00-operating shearing member fixed to the lower die, and projecting overone end thereof.

3. A shank stiffener machine as specified by claim 1, the means forpositioning a shank body portion of the lower die being embodied infixed stops projecting upwardly from the lower die, and arranged to abutonly one edge of said body portion, and permit the positioning of thebody portion on the lower die by an edgewise movement in one direction,and its removal by an edgewise movement in the opposite direction.

4. A shank stiffener machine as specified by claim 1, the means forpositioning a shank body portion on the lower die being embodied infixed stops projecting upwardly from the lower die and arranged to abutonly one edge of said body portion, and permit the positioning of thebody portion on the lower die by an edgewise movement in one direction,and its removal by an edgewise movement in the opposite direction, themachine comprising also a knocker movable to cause the removal of thestiffener from the lower die.

5. A machine for making longitudinally curved reenforced shankstifieners, comprising pronging mechanism having means for formingprongs at spaced apart intervals on a fiat metal strip, and means forfeeding said strip; uniting and bending mechanism comprising a lowerbending die having a longitudinally concave pressing and clinching face,means for positioning the nonmetallic body portion of a two partstiifener thereon, an upper bending die having a convex pressing face,said dies being in the path in which said strip is fed from the prongingmechanism, and means associated with said dies for severing from saidstrip a reenforce having prongs at its opposite end portions, said diesbeing relatively movable to cause the severing of said reenforce fromthe strip, force the reenforce prongs into the body portion, bend thereenforce and the body portion, and thereby impart a longitudinalcurvature to the stiifener, and clinch the prongs of the reenforce tomaintain said curvature.

6. A shank stifiener machine as specified by claim 5, said prongingmechanism having means for forming in said strip longitudinal groovesa1- ternating with the prongs, each groove providing, in a reenforcesevered from the strip, a longitudinal stiffening rib.

WILLIAM H. NICKERSON.

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